Torviki

Rovers of the Endless Blue, Children of Ecli Santiri

The Torviki, known as the People of Torvi, are a nomadic maritime culture whose lives are entwined with the ocean. Part pirate, part tradesman, part Explorer, and wholly free, the Torviki live entirely upon a great flotilla of ships, rafts, floating platforms, and mobile rigs—some generations old, others patched together from the bones of forgotten Vessels and driftwood scavenged from ruined shores. They are seafaring survivors, scavengers, and artists of the tide.

Their floating capital, Ecli Santiri—which roughly translates to “Together Boats” in their dialect—is more than just a port. It is a roving city, a living mass of hulls and harbors lashed together with rope, chain, and will. It wanders the coastlines of Nyria, always moving, always adapting. It is the only place where all the Torviki clans convene at once: to trade, debate, celebrate, and occasionally resolve feuds with rum or blades.

The Torviki are officially considered a constituent of the The Iron Crusade , though many joke that their loyalty is like a fishing net—full of holes but useful when needed. They serve when summoned, particularly in maritime campaigns, where their unparalleled skill in naval tactics, sabotage, and boarding actions makes them an unpredictable yet invaluable ally.

Culture and Life at Sea

To be Torviki is to be born to the sound of waves and the creak of sails. Their society is clan-based, with each ship-family governed by a “Netfather” or “Ruddermother,” depending on tradition and prestige. Though loosely hierarchical, every adult member has a voice during Stormcall—a gathering for important decisions.

Life aboard is hard but vibrant. Children learn to splice rope and navigate stars before they can read. Singing is central to their culture—shanties that tell of great hunts, lost loves, ghost ships, and leviathans echo across the decks nightly. Tattoos are worn like history books, and jewelry is often made from coins, bones, or the teeth of hunted sea beasts.

Their ships are marvels of ingenuity. Repaired, rebuilt, and refitted with parts from wrecks, ironclads, and even skyborne Vessels, each Torviki craft is as unique as the family that sails it. No two are alike, and most contain components far older than the sailors aboard.

Ambergris and Salt-Seeking

Among the Torviki’s most honored roles are the Salt Seekers—those who hunt Maw-Whale Ambergris , the sacred “Whale’s Gold,” secreted by massive maw-whales during their deaths. These salt-slicked expeditions are often perilous, involving long voyages into haunted waters and deep-dives into leviathan graveyards. But ambergris is alchemically priceless and spiritually revered, making such quests both a livelihood and a rite.

To find ambergris is to court fate. To touch it is to honor the sea. Many believe it holds memories of the ocean itself, and the Torviki tell tales of those who heard the voices of drowned gods when cradling a fresh chunk.

Reputation and Legacy

To outsiders, the Torviki are lawless corsairs or opportunistic traders. But to those who live along the sea, they are a force of nature—sometimes storm, sometimes salvation. They’ve saved coastal villages from starvation with salt and fish, only to return a year later to demand tribute at Cutlass point.

Though often romanticized in stories as reckless romantics or feral raiders, the truth is more complex. The Torviki are survivors of a drowned world—keepers of ancient tideways, whisperers to the wind, and builders of impossible ships. Their loyalty may shift with the current, but their legends endure like barnacles on the keel.

“No roots but the rope, no crown but the tide. The Torviki bow only to the sea.”

— Inscription on the prow of the ship “Laughing Leviathan”